Officially, the McKee/Staten Island Tech boys' volleyball team needed only two sets to defeat two-time defending city champion American Studies on Tuesday, but it took an effort comparable to a week of matches.

"It was as tough as we expected," said coach Dave Mahon of the second-seeded Sea Gulls (12-0 league), who advance to a Thursday PSAL A Division semifinal against No. 3 Cleveland at 5:30 p.m. at York College. "They have a lot of players who've won two city titles, but we stepped up and rose to the occasion."

The Eagles were seeded 10th due to coming in third in the stacked Queens West Division, but Mahon -- whose squad lost to American Studies in a tournament earlier this season -- knew the ranking was deceiving. It certainly looked that way at the outset when the Eagles jumped out to a 7-3 lead.

After a side-out point, MSIT's Austen Rerick reeled off nine straight service points for a 13-7 edge. Later on in the first set, there were 12 straight alternating points before AS's Bradley Kolb strung together three consecutive service points to close to within 20-19.

Moments later, an ace by Francis Guido, a kill by Alen Begzic, and a combined block at the net by Begzic and Piotr Kasza gave the Eagles a 23-21 advantage.

But following a timeout by the Gulls, a kill by Marcos Saavedra put MSIT back in possession where he served it out for a 25-23 first-set win.

"I was just concerned with getting the serve in," said Saavedra, who finished the match with one ace, four service points, 10 kills, 14 digs, 3 blocks and 2 assists. "I didn't want to give any points away. I didn't want to make a mistake."

It was deja vu in the second set as the Eagles opened with another 7-3 lead before the Gulls rallied. Five straight service points by MSIT's Terrance Tam (who added 8 digs on the day) deadlocked the match at 14-all. That would be the first of an incredible 16 ties from that moment on in the second set, to go with five lead changes.

"I don't think that was a result of bad passing; if anything, maybe the teams were cautious serving," Mahon said. "I think having so many side outs was more reflective of how well both teams played."

After getting a side out to square the set at 22-all, two straight service points by Saavedra -- the latter on a tricky knuckleball serve that the senior outside hitter used sparingly yet effectively -- brought MSIT to the brink of a win at 24-22.

"When I see a weak passer, I use the knuckleball and hit it right at them," Saavedra said.

The Eagles, however, didn't blink and actually pulled ahead at 25-24 before another long string of side-out points took place. Finally, up 31-30 and with Saavedra back on serve, Rerick closed it out with a thunderous untouched spike straight down the middle on MSIT's eighth match point.

"I had a chance to win it at 24-23 and I hit it into the net," said Rerick, who finished with 9 service points, 7 kills and 11 digs. "I was grateful to have the opportunity to ice the game again. I hit it down the middle, just over the blocker."